The Wounded Eagle: Three Years in the Mexican Drug War, Volume 1

The Wounded Eagle:

Three Years in the Mexican Drug War, 2010-2012

Volume One: 2010

By Chris Covert

Copyright 2013 Chris Covert

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Table of Contents

Part 1 Mexican Mayhem

Chapter 1 May, 2010

Chapter 2 June, 2010

Chapter 3 July, 2010

Chapter 4 August, 2010

Chapter 5 September, 2010

Chapter 6 October, 2010

Chapter 7 November, 2010

Chapter 8 December, 2010

Part 2 Massacres, Shootouts and Busts

Chapter 9 April, 2010

Chapter 10 May 2010

Chapter 11 June 2010

Chapter 12 July 2010

Chapter 13 August 2010

Chapter 14 September, 2010

Chapter 15 October, 2010

Chapter 16 November, 2010

Chapter 17 December, 2010

Part 3 Politics, Editorials and Interviews

Chapter 18 July, 2010

Chapter 19 August, 2010

Chapter 20 September, 2010

Chapter 21 November, 2010

Chapter 22 December, 2010

Preface

Like 300 million other Americans in 2006, even though Mexico was directly adjacent to our southern border, it may as well have been a hemisphere away. That was the year that Felipe Calderon Hinojosa won election as president of Mexico, who then promptly unleashed the power of the state in the form of his military against the Mexican Drug Cartels in an effort to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the US, thus beginning the Mexican Drug War.

In 2006, I didn't think much about Calderon's war. America already had two wars half a world away in Iraq and Afghanistan; and we had an overlarge government growing bigger and harder to control daily. And we had a coming economic crisis.

In April, 2010, I was an unpaid volunteer working evenings helping out at Rantburg.com with moderation and technical background duties, when one of the other moderators suggested that the Mexican Drug War become part of the coverage of war on terror news. This was two months after the February, 2010 Villas de Salvacar, Ciudad Juarez massacre when 15 young people were savagely gunned down, as it turned out because the target of a drug hit had wandered into a teen party.

Starting at that point reading Spanish language publications in Mexico, specifically in the northern Mexican states, the idea emerged that a conflagration was taking place just south of the US-Mexico borders with very little notice from the US media, except in small border cities in any instance massacres were too hard to ignore. Fast forward to the publication of this ebook, the situation has changed little. Murders and massacres are still taking place in Mexico by an underworld more vicious and brutally efficient than any organized crime group in the world, including our own much vaunted and storied US mafia.

This e-book, the first volume of four, is a compilation of Mexican Drug War news stories, taken nearly exclusively from Mexican news publications, translated, condensed and then rewritten to conform with a more journalistic style. Most news stories have a news source, but many of the stories have several sources, which were not listed. The stories compiled in this volume are divided into sections, the first being compilations of news items detailing individual murders. The second section includes stories of official responses and counternarcotics operations -- involving security forces ranging from local municipal police to Mexican national security forces -- to organized crime business including intergang shootouts and massacres. The last section comprises editorials, political stories and interviews whether or not they relate to the drug war, but are pertinent to Mexico.

This endeavor has been a journey and an experience in learning a culture that is very close geographically, but, in many other ways, very far away.

This e-book is intended to provide an historical reference and a permanent record of a small number of the tens of thousands murdered in Mexico every year in the normal course of Mexican organized crime business, and a chronicle of the low intensity war that has taken all those lives.

One last thought for the reader.

My role in the Mexican Drug War has been that of a broker of information. I didn't gather this information. Hundreds of Mexican men and women living and working in their own country gathered the information, risking their very lives and the lives of their families to report on the violence that has engulfed their nation for little more than a byline and a payday. Most are still alive and still doing their work, under constant threat of grave injury and death. A few have died because of their reporting.

It is because of them as know what we know now about this dark period on Mexico's history.

It is my hope that this and the subsequent three other volumes will enhance the reputation of Mexican journalism as one of an unflinching duty to report the truth and express criticism of the government as well as the cartels, even in the face of threats of bodily harm.

Notes on Translation:

Spanish have been edited from Spanish style to English as much as possible. All Mexican organization, government and news publications names in Spanish have been italicized, while geographical names, proper names and street and colony names have not. The text also departs from the common practice in English language publications on the border referring to neighborhoods using the Spanish colonia. The text refers to those as districts, colonies and neighborhoods. I have tried where appropriate to refer to ranches as a formal part of the the name inasmuch as the formal name was not referred to in the original news items. The sole exception is the ejido.

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Fred Pruitt of Rantburg.com and Alex Marentes of BorderlandBeat.com for providing a platform for this endeavor. I want to thank Jenifer Sawitski for her help in editing at least some of these stories, and Chivis Martinez of BorderlandBeat.com for her tough friendship. Finally, I wish to thank the people in my day job at Wright Welding & Machine, Bo, Harry, Dave, Stanley and others, for patiently listening to me prattle on endlessly about the Drug War in Mexico.

Part 1 Mexican Mayhem

Part one includes a feature we eventually named More Mexican Mayhem, which wound up being a compilation of drug and gang related murders in the northern more tier of Mexican states, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Sources indicated could include La Polaka, Tiempo, El Mexicano, El Imparcial, El Porvenir, Milenio and Proceso. Only one source is indicated per item, but news included in the compilations could have been from any of the others. All items were translated and rewritten.

Chapter 1

May 2010 (199 Dead)

May 8th, 2010

12 Die in Chihuahua

Source: Tiempo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.tiempo.com.mx/not_detalle.php?id_n=46104

(Accessed May 8th, 2010. )

This is the first named More Mexican Mayhem Feature.

Twelve people died in violence in Chihuahua, Mexico, according to press reports.

* The bodies of four people were found late today, apparently executed. The bodies were found near Francisco Villa near San Francisco, Chihuahua. Witnesses say the bodies were tossed from several light trucks. No other details were available.

* A female ministerial police agent was found executed late last Wednesday night at her home in the Torres de Sur III district in Juarez. The victim was found in her official vehicle with several bullet holes. Investigators did not release the name of the victim.

* A father, son and uncle were found murdered late Wednesday night in the Loma Blanca district of the Valley of Juarez, along the Juarez-Porvenir highway. Authorities would not release the identities of the three victims.

* The victims were found several meters apart from one another along the highway.

* An unidentified man was found murdered late last Wednesday night near a message spray painted in green on a wall for narcotics detectives. The vandalized wall was nearby a secondary school, Number 3059. According to Mexican new reports, the graffiti mentioned the crime family La Linea, the Juarez based drug gang, and a cartel called New People. The graffiti also mentioned a member of the New People cartel called The Arab. News reports provided no other details.

* One unidentified man was murdered in his truck in Juarez, according to Mexican press reports. The killing took place near the intersection of Cuicuilco and Granito in the Morelos district of Juarez. Witnesses at the scene say the victim was parked for several minutes when gunmen from another light truck shot the man.

* Two men were shot to death late Wednesday night in a house near the intersection of Rosales and San Francisco in the Anahuac district of Juarez. Witnesses at the scene said a group of gunmen entered the patio to shoot the victims. The identities of the two victims were not released by investigators.

May 9th, 2010

Ten More Dead in Chihuahua Friday, One in Juarez Today

Source: None, lost.

Eleven more people were found victims of gun violence in Chihuahua, Mexico, Friday, including a find of five corpses in the city of Chihuahua.

* A CIPOL agent visiting his nephew in Juarez repelled an assassination attempt Saturday morning by elements of organized crime, but not before the nephew was shot, according to Mexican press reports. Reports say the nephew died later that morning. The attack took place in the El Granjero district of Juarez near Garambullo and Mostaza streets at 0900 hrs.

* Two men were found bound, gagged and shot to death Saturday on the Ojinaga-Chihuahua highway near Ojinaga, Chihuahua. About 15 each 9mm spent casings were found near the bodies, according to news reports. Investigators speculated the men died as a result of a busted drug deal.

* Five people were found dead in the city of Chihuahua in two separate incidents, according to Mexican press reports. Police received a call Friday afternoon about a number of bodies found behind the Westin Sovereign in Chihuahua. Investigators found four bodies piled on the sidewalk, bound, tortured and shot to death. One of the victims appeared to be newlywed. Conflicting stories by witnesses said the victims were dumped there while others said they heard shots. In the second incident, one man was found shot dead in his home in the wealthy district of Chihuahua known as Residencial Campestre near the intersection of Camino al Campestre and Virginia. According to the translation, when the victim opened the door to see if vehicles were being robbed, he was shot, and the shooters escaped easily.

* Three men were murdered in the middle of a wedding ceremony in a Catholic Church Friday evening in Juarez, according to Mexican press reports. According to witnesses, gunmen broke into the church, at Valentin Fuentes and Simona Barba streets and shot the groom and two of his godfathers. One guest attempted to intervene but was met with gunfire. According to the reports, a quantity of police and army elements characterized as in the hundreds cordoned off the area for almost two hours following the assassinations. As the dead lay in the doorway the killers escaped the scene aboard several vehicles.

May 10th, 2010

Four Die in Chihuahua Including Police Agent; Two Die in Sonora

Source: Tiempo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.tiempo.com.mx/not_detalle.php?id_n=46169

(Accessed May 10th, 2010)

Yesterday's item about three murders in a Catholic temple was inaccurate. The three victims were kidnapped from the church, while a fourth man was shot. The error was because of a translation problem.

An unknown number of armed men entered a police command unit and executed one police agent and kidnapped another person Saturday afternoon, Mexican press reports say.

According to published reports, José Angel Gomez Marquez, 45, was executed, and another unidentified person in the office was kidnapped. It is uncertain from the translated reports which Mexican police agency Marquez was with. The crime took place in the northern sector of Juarez. Reports indicate the agent was shot with a 12 gauge shotgun.

* A teen was gunned down Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of a commercial center yesterday near the intersection of Cloro and Bernardo Norzagaray in the Altavista district of Juarez. Witnesses at the scene said the young man, Everardo Garcia, 18, attempted to run away from a gray Dodge Stratus, before persons occupying the vehicle shot him. Federal and municipal police units moved to evacuate the shopping center after the shooting.

* A 30 year old man was found executed near a religious temple Friday morning in the Lomas de San José district of Juarez, published Mexican news reports say. The crime scene was located near the intersection of Montes Alpinos and Privada Uno. Investigators at the scene say the man had been tortured before he was killed.

* A 24 year old woman was found dead by farm workers Saturday morning on Los Jaquez road near Meoqui, Chihuahua, according to Mexican press reports. Investigators said the woman, Elena Martinez of Meoqui, was shot in the head with a 9mm weapon.

* Meanwhile at a farm camp 15 kilometers from Empalme, Sonora, two men were killed and three men were wounded in an apparent armed robbery of an agricultural payroll, press reports say. Carlos Alvarado Salazar, the paymaster, and Roberto Campa Rangel, both 45, were shot with AK-47 rifles, witnesses say. The robbers did not get away with the cash. The three wounded were reported in stable condition.

May 12th, 2010

13 Die in Chihuahua Including Kidnapped Wedding Party

Source: Tiempo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.tiempo.com.mx/not_detalle.php?id_n=46317

(Accessed May 12th, 2010)

Thirteen people were killed in Chihuahua including three people of a kidnapped wedding party, according to Mexican press reports.

* The dead bodies of three men kidnapped in broad daylight during a wedding ceremony two days ago were found today. Investigators at the scene said the three men were executed. The discovery was made in a bed of a Toyota truck in the Santa Rita district of Juarez. The dead were identified by relatives include: Rafael Morales Valencia, the groom, 29; Jaime Morales Valencia, 25, the groom's brother; Guadalupe Morales Arriola, the groom's uncle and godfather, 51.

* Three men were found executed in two separate scenes in the Chihuahua 2000 district of Juarez, according to press reports. According to two separate accounts, one of the men, Antonio Soto, AKA The Chinese, was found with a 9mm derringer tucked in his waistband. It is not known if he was killed by the same persons who killed the other two. Two of the victims were found aboard a green Jeep Cherokee on Dostoyevski Avenue between Canutillo and De la Mancha avenues. Found at the scene were two other vehicles damaged in an apparent accident with the victims' vehicle, but were apparently abandoned in the aftermath.

* A 56 year old man was found shot dead Monday morning in Guadelupe y Calvo, Chihuahua, according to Mexican press reports. Jesse Castañeda Lopez was found in an alley shot more than nine times with a 9mm weapon.

* Two men were found executed late Monday night in the Lazaro Cardenas district of Meoqui. Jesus Manuel Cueto, 30, and Raul Rogelio Anchondo Mares, 23, were found aboard two different vehicles, said investigators. The men had been shot multiple times. About 100 spent rifle casings from AK-47 and .223 rifles were found at the scene.

* Two men police said were executed late Sunday night were found Monday, according to Mexican press reports. Andres Vargas Menchaca, 28, and another unidentified 27 year old were found shot to death near the intersection of Fosforo and Carburo streets in the district Juan Guereca , north of Juarez. Investigators at the scene found 27 spent rifle casings, 26 from a .223 caliber rifle and one from a.308 caliber rifle.

* A man was found shot dead in his sand colored Nissan Sentra in front of a kindergarten, according to Mexican press reports. The scene was at the Lago district of Juarez, near the intersection of La Raza and Lago de Paztcuaro. The discovery had upset some young children and parents and was reported by one of the parents.

* The headless body of a businessman was found late Sunday night, according to Mexican press reports. Luis Hector Morales, 35, was found in the Fray Garcia de San Francisco district of Juarez on Custodio de la Republica street. Other reports say the victim was the owner of a used auto parts store, known as Yonkee. A gang of gunmen known as La Linea are known to decapitate their victims.

May 13th, 2010

12 Die in Violence in Chihuahua, Mexico

Source: Tiempo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.tiempo.com.mx/not_detalle.php?id_n=46357

(Accessed May 13th, 2010)

Twelve people lost their lives in separate shootings, mostly in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, according to Mexican press reports.

* Two brothers were shot to death and a woman with them was wounded in a shooting in Juarez today. Mexican news reports say the three were aboard a GMC light SUV near the intersection of Juan Pablo II and 79th streets. Gabriel Soto Nevarez, Juan Carlos Marrufo and an unidentified 35 year old woman, said to be the sister of the two men, were at a drive in when men approached their location aboard a white Cavalier and a gray Nissan Sentra. Witnesses at the scene say the shooters pulled out rifles and fired at the trio. Investigators at the scene including CIPOL agents found more than 20 spent AK-47 rifle casings.

* Five people were found murdered near the campus of Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, according to Mexican new reports. The victims, said to have been piled up, were between 25 and 30 years old. They were found about 500 meters from the campus on the highway to Ascencion Hidalgo. Reports did not provide identification, nor the gender of the victims. Investigators at the scene say the five were shot with large caliber weapons. They did not elaborate.

* Two brothers were found tortured and shot to death in the Villas del Tecnologico district of Juarez, reports say. Francisco Javier and Roman Eduardo Avalos Solis were found with their hands and feet bound and blindfolded by tape, and were apparently tortured before they were executed.

* One man was found on a highway Tuesday near Saucillo, Chihuahua by his burned out Dodge Durango, according to Mexican press reports. Investigators say Victor Manuel Calderon Bejarano was shot to death with .40 and .45 caliber weapons, evidenced by spent cartridge casings at the scene.

* A 16 year old boy was found shot to death late last night near Praxedis, Chihuahua, according to Mexican press reports. Another unidentified adult male with the victim was found wounded and was taken to medical facilities. No other details were reported.

* A former police chief was assassinated at point blank range in front of his wife Tuesday night, according to Mexican press reports. Miguel Angel Martinez Leon, 42, apparently had formerly served as Chief of Municipal Police of Bocoyna, Chihuahua. According to a report, Leon was aboard his blue Ford Aerostar van when a group of armed men aboard a black Jeep Cherokee pulled up on him and his wife. Leon tried to escape but was shot several times in the head and chest.

May 14, 2010

Seven Die in Violence in Northern Mexico

Source: Frontera, Mexicali, Baja California

http://www.frontera.info/EdicionEnLinea/Notas/Nacional/13052010/446840.aspx

(Accessed May 14th, 2010)

Seven people died in violence likely related to the illegal drug business, according to Mexican press reports. The dead include a local politician in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

* Three unidentified men in the beginning stages of decomposition were found in an arroyo near Juarez, according to Mexican news reports. They were found at the breach of the Horcasitas station at kilometer marker 186 on the highway to Delicias. CIPOL agents at the scene say the three men were shot to death. Two of them were decapitated from the shootings. Police agents also found 40 empty weapons casings at the scene, according to the report.

* Two people were executed at a taqueria, El Gaero, at 12:30 Thursday. Investigators at the scene were told men from a light truck pulled up and started shooting. One victim died inside the restaurant, while the other died while fleeing. Investigators could not get a description of the shooters from people at the store, according to the news report. The Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) politician and gubernatorial candidate for Chihuahua, Carlos Borruel, was at the same location just three hours before the attack.

* A female agent of the Procuraduria General de Justicia Estado (PGJE) was shot several times and killed in a mid morning attack, according to Mexican press reports. The attack took place near the PGJE offices in Chihuahua, Chihuahua. Zoel Lara, apparently a crime scene investigator, died an hour after the attack. Investigators said she was shot seven times with a 9mm weapon. Differing press accounts say the woman was forcibly removed from her vehicle by an armed group, forced to her knees and then shot. The shooters were in a gray Chevrolet Suburban. Following the attack, the shooters escaped via Independence street in the direction of the Teofilo Borunda.

* PAN politician and mayoral candidate for Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas, Luis Mario Guajardo, was found shot to death today, according to Mexican press reports. The businessman was found in a light truck along with his son, José Mario Guajardo Varela, and apparently a nephew at the agro company property Guajardo Industries. The company was owned by the victim.

May 16th, 2010

16 Die in northern Mexico Violence

Source: Tiempo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.tiempo.com.mx/not_detalle.php?id_n=46559

(Accessed May 16th, 2010)

Sixteen people were killed in several shootings in northern Mexico including nine dead after an armed robbery in Lomas Blancas, Chihuahua.

* News reports say a total of six suspected bank robbers and three others were killed in separate shootings in Lomas Blancas and Leyes de Reforma near Juarez. A police agent intercepted a red Ford van in an agricultural district of Juarez late Friday morning following an armed robbery. Six people were killed in the resulting shootout at the scene with another two wounded. The interdiction took place near a school where reports say at least 100 shots were fired. Reports also say one police agent was killed. Police found three more dead they said were executed in Leyes de Reforma some kilometers away from the armed robbery shootout. None of the dead suspected criminals nor the dead police agent had been identified.

* Two men were found dead in separate scenes in Chihuahua late Thursday night, according to Mexican news reports. In Parajes del Sur, Chihuahua, an unidentified man was found dead and partially devoured by a dog on the patio of his home. Reports say police could not immediately determine if the victim died a violent death from a shooting. Investigators at the scene said the death took place some days ago. The dog, apparently unfed, survived by eating the corpse. Reports provided no other details.

* In a separate crime, an unidentified 17 year old youth was found shot to death in Los Alcaldes, Chihuahua. The crime scene was on Hagamoslo Juntos street. No other details on this murder were provided as well.

* An unidentified man was kidnapped Friday morning from an east side Juarez gym, according to Mexican press reports. Reports say the victim attempted to evade the invasion at the Alcatraz Gym to no avail, and was forced aboard an unidentified vehicle which then left. No one was reported hurt in the attack.

* Two unidentified men were shot to death in Chihuahua by an armed group of three suspected robbers during a noontime liquor store holdup, according to press accounts. Police from municipal, state and federal levels were involved in an interception subsequent to the crime, capturing the suspected robbers. Reports from the scene indicate no one else was wounded or killed. The crime took place at the intersection of Yaquis and Mayan street in the Infonavit Nacional district.

* A Chihuahua city bouncer was kidnapped and later found murdered late Thursday night, according to Mexican press reports. José Villezcas, 35, was found lying face down with his hands bound, and shot in the head in the Valle de la Madrid district of Chihuahua. Villezcas was the head of security at the Amigo Bar 2 at Francisco R. Almada and Valle Dorado.

* An unidentified man was found executed at Niños Heroes and 17th streets in the Villa Juarez district of Juarez Friday evening, according to press reports. Witnesses near the scene reported watching a man executed and tossed overboard a light truck. Investigators at the scene found spent 9mm weapon shell casings.

May 17th, 2010

Seventeen Die in Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila

Source: La Polaka, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://lapolaka.com/2010/05/16/human-steaks-narcomessage-attachment/

(Accessed May 17th, 2010)

Seventeen people died in violence in northern Mexico including a massacre with eight dead and five decapitations.

* Eight people were shot to death and another 19 were wounded in a massacre in a Torreon, Coahuila bar, according to Mexican press reports. Police were notified by an emergency call that a number of dead were found at the Juanas bar at Calzada Saltillo 400. Reports indicate that a gray colored light truck with six suspects had stopped at the bar and was seen leaving the scene following the shootings. Hours later a gray light truck was found in Durango with the heads of four people in its bed.

* Five people died in Juarez early Sunday morning in three different macabre crime scenes, according to Mexican news reports. Two men were found beheaded and shot to death in Juarez between Plan Guadalupe and Plutarco streets in the Los Nogales district. According to the translation, the severed heads were placed atop the prone bodies which were also dressed in woman's lingerie. Threatening messages had been marked on the corpses as well. The messages were against two municipal police officials.

* In a separate crime scene, a man was found shot to death in Juarez in the Valle de Juarez district near Revolucion Sur and Vecente Guerrero streets. Francisco Javier Aldana Archuleta, 21 was found with 43 spent weapon casings nearby. The caliber of the weapon was not determined.

* A fourth man was found shot to death in the Eco 2000 district of Juarez near the intersection of Lobo and Cebra streets. Cesar Valle Roacho, 26 was found shot with what investigators said was a .223 caliber weapon. They found 27 spent cartridge casings nearby.

* A fifth man was found seriously wounded by gunfire in the Waterfill district of Juarez near the intersection of Nardos and Zaragoza streets. Ricardo Acosta Garibay, 35, was transferred to a clinic where he died.

* A young man was found shot in the throat in the Parque San Quitan in Juarez early Sunday morning. He was identified as Juan Castillo Enriquez, 20.

* An ex-security commander and his wife were found murdered in their home in Hermosillo, Sonora, early Saturday morning. According to Mexican press reports, the couple, Manuel Francisco Gutierrez Cajiga, 60, and Carmen Duarte Rodriguez, 52, were gunned down with AK-47 rifles in the patio of their home in the Noanavas municipality.

* A man kidnapped a few days ago in Juarez was found dead with his head severed in the Melchor Ocampo district of Chihuahua, Chihuahua. The man whose name has not yet been released, but who has been identified, was found in two different parked cars near the intersection of Montemayor and Chihuahua.

May 19th, 2010

Thirteen people were murdered in northern Mexico

Source: Tiempo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.tiempo.com.mx/not_detalle.php?id_n=46836

(Accessed May 19th, 2010)

Thirteen people were murdered in northern Mexico including nine in seven hours in Juarez. A fourteenth person was killed in a lynching in Mexico, Mexico, according to Mexican news reports.

* Three young people were found shot to death and another individual was wounded Tuesday morning in an industrial facility near 34th and Melchor Guaspe streets in the Dales district of Juarez, according to press reports. According to press reports, one of the victims was a relative to Francisco Salcido Lozoya a Partido Revolucionario Institucional ( PRI ) candidate for Federal Deputy district IX. The seat is currently held by another PRI Deputy. According to witnesses, the suspects in a gray Nissan Altima, fired their weapons at the trio while they were in the industrial facility. The victims tried to flee the shooting. Police found several AK-47 expended casings at the scene.

* Three people were found shot to death in Real de Santa Eulalia in Juarez midday Tuesday, according to Mexican press accounts. The victims were found inside a residence at 20 Pinos Altos. Witnesses say two vehicles carrying armed suspects, a Volkswagen Jetta and a Lincoln pickup were stopped in front of the house. The killers burst inside the residence and shot the victims, then fled. The victims had lived at the location only 30 days.

* A man in his 30s was found shot to death near a Walmart on Rocinante street in the Quintas Quijote district of Juarez, according to published Mexican news reports. The unidentified man was found face down with signs of torture, his hands bound by tape. Investigators said he was hit four times by shots.

* An unidentified man was found shot in the head in the Curvas del Perico district of Juarez, according to Mexican press accounts. Investigators said the man was shot with a 9mm weapon.

* A man was murdered in a home invasion Tuesday morning in the Campestre Arboledas district of Juarez according to Mexican news reports. Arturo Chavez Marmolejo, 37. was shot to death in a shooting newspapers say was Mafia style. An unidentified woman was also found in the residence unharmed. Reports say she was the wife of the victim. News reports say the house at 8520 Libramiento Regional was protected with iron gates and security cameras. A kindergarten, Kinder Montessori, was located nearby. Some of the parents witnessed the home invasion.

* An unidentified couple in their 30s were shot to death in a night time attack Monday in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, according to press reports. The attack took place in the Deportiva Sur district after the couple had finished exercising. Armed suspects traveling aboard a white Subaru drove up the to couple's mini van, and open fired. The suspects then fled the scene. Investigators said the couple were killed with AK-47s. More than 50 expended casings were found at the scene.

* An unidentified man was found shot dead at a Walmart Tuesday evening in the south zone of Monterrey, Tamaulipas, according to Mexican news reports. The shooting occurred at about 1615 hrs near the intersection of Lazaro Cardenas and Eugenio Garza Sada streets. Paramedics were dispatched to the scene, but the victim, found at the wheel of a Chevrolet Suburban, had already died.

* A 40 year old woman was found shot once in the head in her home in Salinas de Gotari, Nuevo Leon, according to Mexican press reports. Gabriela Uribe Leal was found at her home at 907 Ramiro Tamez. She worked as secretary. Uribe Leal was seen in the company of a man just prior to the shooting. Police are at this point unable to ascribe a motive or a suspect.

And now, the feel good item of the week...

An unidentified man in Ecatepec, Mexico, was beaten to death by inhabitants of the locality after he was charged Monday with assaulting another a couple, according to Mexican press accounts. The crowd tried to prevent an ambulance from evacuating the victim.

A police riot element was called out to quell the crowd. When some elements of the 300 residents started throwing rocks and debris, the crowd was dispersed with tear gas. The crowd also turned over three police vehicles and broke out windows.

No charges have yet been filed in the event.

May 21st, 2010

The shootout at Urique is not a confirmed event at the moment and the between two and six dead are not included in today's 3M body count. A trend is becoming apparent for criminals to file false reports in order to draw security elements into ambushes, so the 48 Hour Rule holds for the shootout in Urique

24 Dead in Gang Violence in northern Mexico

Source: El Diario de Coahuila, Saltillo, Coahuila

http://www.eldiariodecoahuila.com.mx/notas/2010/5/20/nacional-180121.asp

(Accessed May 21st)

At least 24 people were killed in drug and gang violence in northern Mexico in events which included shootouts in Urique, Chihuahua and Torreon, Coahuila, as well as a dead Juarez CIPOL agent, Mexican news reports say.

* Five men were killed including two Coahuila State Police agents in an apparent ambush in Torreon, Coahuila, according to published Mexican news reports. The ambush took place in a commercial area known as Cuatro Caminos, which is next to a residential area after the police agents were called to investigate a report of suspicious vehicles. According to reports, the agents were shot at by suspects who were aboard more than ten vehicles of various makes in a running gun battle. One agent was killed at the scene while another died after receiving medical treatment. Police reports say three unidentified suspects died at the scene and several more were wounded, but were evacuated by their partners in crime. Police seized two light trucks. Aboard they found hand grenades and other munitions police say were going to be used against them. A third light truck was found on Revolucion Boulevard, but it had been emptied of evidence.

* A large shootout involving about 20 suspected gang members in two groups left two dead, according to Mexican news reports. Elements of the 42nd Military Zone of the Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional ( SEDENA ) were deployed to the southern Chihuahua town to find weapons and bodies. Residents of Urique say the gun battle lasted about 40 minutes. News reports suggest as many as six dead.

* Two men were found shot to death Thursday morning on a highway in Chihuahua, according to Mexican news reports. Alex Caraveo Tarango, 35, and Juan Carlos Fierro Alvarado, 20, were found at Kilometer 38 of the Cuauhtemoc-Carico highway with their hands and feet bound with black cable ties and clear tape. They were both shot several times. Alvarado was previously reported missing.

* A CIPOL agent was found executed Thursday afternoon near the commercial center El Pasito in central Juarez, according to Mexican press reports. Francisco Vargas Ramirez died at the scene. The attack took place on 29th Street, between Juarez and Aldam streets. Reports say the victim was shot with AK-47 rifles.

* Two unidentified men were found shot to death aboard a truck on Hidroelectrica de Chicoacon Street in Juarez Thursday afternoon. Reports say the men were shot with AK-47s. Three shooters were aboard a gold colored Volkswagen Jetta. Very few details were available.

* An unidentified man was found shot to death in an ironworks only minutes after two businessmen were found shot near Hidroelectrica de Chicoacon. Reports say the man was shot with AK-47 rifles by armed suspects riding aboard a Dodge Voyager.

* A man was shot to death and two others wounded on Ejercito Nacional street near Avenida Valentin Fuentes in Juarez Thursday morning, according to Mexican news reports. Witnesses say Octavio Mata, 26, his brother Juan, and a companion, Pedro, were shot more than 30 times aboard their red 1980 Nissan Pathfinder by a suspect.

* Investigators said five women were found Wednesday evening cut up in several trash bags aboard the Chevrolet pickup truck on a highway outside of Juarez, according to published accounts. According to reports, the silver colored Silverado truck was stolen. Subsequent reports indicate there were five victims were murdered with an ax.

* Two unidentified men were shot to death and another man as wounded in an attack which took place late Thursday afternoon in the El Granjero district of Juarez. The attack took place near the intersection of Sorgo and Pitaya streets, and may have involved members of the same family.

* An unidentified man was shot to death in front of his wife, who was wounded late Wednesday night, according to Mexican news reports. According to witnesses the couple were attacked as they emerged from their black Chevrolet pickup truck at their home near the intersection of Jesus Chavez Orozco and Eduardo Viral Loya in the Educacion district of Juarez. The man died instantly of several shots to the head while his wife was wounded in the legs.

* A man was ambushed in front of his home in the Rosario Tesopaco district of Hermosillo, Sonora, according to published Mexican news reports. Marco Antonio Quijada Valenzuela, 39, was gunned down by an unknown number of suspects armed with AK-47 rifles as he was leaving his home. The victim's wife and children were apparently unharmed in the attack. Investigators found 74 spent rifle casings at the scene and a 9mm derringer on the victim.

* An unidentified man was shot to death in the Conjunto Habitacional Infonavit 5 de Mayo district of Nogales, Sonora, according to published Mexican press accounts. According to investigators, four armed men aboard a Jeep Liberty SUV shot the man using AK-47 rifles.

* Two unidentified men in their 30s were found shot to death next to the highway to Delicias, Chihuahua, Thursday evening according to Mexican news reports. They were found near Kilometer 199. The men with their hands bound were shot in the head near a scene where other recent executions have taken place. The victims may have been kidnapped.

May 22, 2010

16 Dead in Northern Mexican Violence

Source: El Diario de Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=86718437e68ed0a5619e6909e91fbd82

(Accessed May 22nd, 2010)

Today's 3M includes the six known dead in Urique. If more are reported the additional count will be included in a new 3M.

Sixteen people were murdered in drug and gang related violence in Chihuahua according to Mexican published reports. The violence includes two missing Mexican federal agents presumed abducted, and an inter-gang shootout in southern Chihuahua.

* Three unidentified men were executed in the Felipe Angels district of Juarez late Thursday night, say Mexican news reports. According to witnesses, the trio attempted to flee their attackers, but were instead shot to death. No other details were available.

* Five unidentified people were found executed near Santa Isabel, Chihuahua, according to Mexican news reports. Motorists spotted the corpses along the General Trias to Riva Palacios highway around 0600 hrs Friday morning. The bodies displayed wounds from gunfire. No other details were available.

* An unidentified man was found shot to death in Juarez underneath a bridge Friday, according to Mexican news accounts. The approximately 40 year old man was found atop a blanket near the Viaduct Diaz Ordaz under the bridge of the Norzagaray street. Investigators think the body was shot elsewhere and dumped at the location.

* A poll worker for Chihuahua gubernatorial Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) candidate Caesar Duarte was gunned down by unknown assailant Friday afternoon in Juarez. Jorge Grouse Grouse died at the scene at Juan Pablo II Boulevard around 85th street. Two females accompanying him were unharmed. The shooting represents another violent event in the election campaign, the last incident of which was a shooting by the Mexican Army against campaign vehicles. The army claimed the shooting an an accidental discharge of a weapon, and no one was harmed but later said two days ago they would investigate.

* Two federal agents on patrol in Nuevo Leon are reported missing and are presumed kidnapped according to Mexican news reports. The Sergio Torres, 30, and Geovanni Aguiar, 35, were patrolling along a road leading to Reynosa, Nuevo Leon, when they disappeared. Reports say armed men aboard several trucks had apparently intercepted the agents near Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon. Mexican police and military are searching for the missing agents.

* Six gunmen were killed in a running gunfight in Urique, Chihuahua, Tuesday, Mexican news reports say. Residents of the tiny community say the gunfight lasted more than 40 minutes and involved more than 20 men from two different gangs. Last reports say elements of the Mexican Army 42nd Military Zone are currently deployed in the community to assist authorities in the aftermath. Currently authorities are releasing no more information, however, some unconfirmed reports indicate as many as ten died in the gun battle.

May 24th, 2010

Ten Die in Northern Mexico

Source: La Polaka, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

http://lapolaka.com/2010/05/23/dominguera-emboscada-contra-federales/

(Accessed May 23rd)

Ten people lost their lives in organized crime violence in northern Mexican states, which included an armed attack on Mexican federal agents in Juarez, according to Mexican news reports. The death toll includes two kidnapped Mexican federal agents found near China, Nuevo Leon today.

* Two Mexican federal agents reported missing early Friday morning were found dead today near China, Nuevo Leon, say Mexican press reports. The agents were reported missing during a late nighttime patrol on the freeway leading to Reynosa, Tamaulipas, and they were suspected as having been kidnapped by an armed group of men riding in vehicles in the area. Investigators at the scene did not provide any further details.

* Three unidentified men were found executed near Juarez Saturday night, according to Mexican news reports. The victims were found on a highway near Juarez at a location known as Cuervas del Perico. Last reports indicate they were shot to death. Mexican police authorities are still investigating.

* An unidentified suspected kidnapper was killed, a Mexican federal agent was wounded and a kidnap victim was freed in a Juarez Municipal Police operation Saturday evening, according to Mexican news accounts. The unnamed kidnapped victim was the son of a local politician. The victim was abducted, but the police managed to follow the suspects to a location in the Bravo Guadalupe district of Juarez. The suspects tried to hide inside a residence after they discovered they had been followed, but a police truck with a reinforced front bumper demolished the door, and subsequently collapsed the house. Witnesses at the scene said the ensuing gun battle lasted an hour. Mexican federal police reinforced their efforts with armored cars and a helicopter. The Mexican federal agent was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment.

* Three Mexican federal agents were ambushed and critically wounded in an assault in front of a hospital in Juarez Saturday afternoon, according to Mexican news accounts. The unidentified agents were sitting in an official truck parked in front of the Hospital Municipal on Avenida Lopez Mateos when armed men aboard two vehicles opened fire on the agents. During the attack, two agents attempted to seek refuge in the hospital, while one returned fire using shrubbery as cover. Witnesses say AK-47 rifles were used in the attack. After the attackers fled the scene. Reinforcements arrived and rushed the agents to another hospital. Reports say more than 40 spent rifle casings were found at the scene.

* An unidentified man was shot to death in front of a liquor store Saturday evening in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, according to Mexican news reports. The attack took place at Arcanos and Ignacio Rodriguez streets in the Diego Lucero district of Chihuahua. The man was shot by a group of heavily armed men traveling in a compact car, according to witnesses. Investigators found 16 spent cartridge casings of various calibers at the scene.

* An unidentified 25 year old man was found tortured and beaten to death in south Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Saturday morning, according to Mexican news reports. Investigators said at the scene at the intersection of Serafin Peña and Lago de Patzcuaro, in the Independencia district of Monterrey, the man died